Canning machine



Oct. 20, 1931. I c. H. AYARS 1,323,167

CANNING MACHINE Filed March 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvron; h ris: qyqra,

0,. .1931- c. H AYARS 1,828,167

GANNING MACHINE Filed Marbh 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l 2,0 l h i 2/ wrnmssrzs: INVENTOR:

M I gun-Zea 11.02 015 I Fatented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES H. AYARS, OF SALEM, NEXV JERSEY, A SSIGNOR T AYARS MACHINE COM- PANY, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY CANNING MACHINE Application filed March 5,

The present invention relates to machines for depositing a measured quantity of material into receptacles and is particularly applicable to canning machines.

An object of the invention is to improve machines of this character.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved capacity adjustment of the sections of measuring cups one to another.

Further objects are to provide an adjustment of the sections of the measuring cups of a machine of this character to each other so that there will be a gradual compression of the material contained in the cups intermediate of the feeding thereof to the measuring units and its discharge therefrom without injury thereto, and such that this compression may be varied according to the material being supplied to the receptacles.

A fourth object is the provision of means which will press the material into the measuring cups without injuring the same.

The structural arrangement by which the above objects are accomplished consists in a pair of turrets having measuring cups bee tween them; each cup being comprised of two telescoping sections, one on each turret. One of these turrets may be arranged for vertical adjustment relatively to the other and compression adjustment may be accomplished by having one of the turrets adjustable angularly to the plane of the other.

This latter adjustment may be accomplished by supporting the angularly adjustable turret so that it can be tilted relatively to the other and this may be done by supporting the same in a pan hinged at one side to a support, and adjusting the other side by a set screw threaded through an apertured member connected to the pan and resting on a further support. Adjustment as to capacity may be effectively accomplished by securing the upper turret to a supporting shaft having sliding adjustment in a hollow shaft centrally of the machine and below the juice pan and providing means for elevating or lowering the first named shaft relative to the other, in the nature of a member threaded to the second shaft as an adjustment wheel 1929. Serial No. 344,328.

and a pin on the first shaft resting on the hub of the wheel.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the draw ings showing one embodiment thereof and in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a can filling machine on line 11 of Figure .6.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail of an adjust ng means for one of the turrets.

F lgure 5 is a fragmentary detail of the adjusting screw for canting one of the turrets relative to the other.

Figure 6 isa section on line 6-6 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a detail section on line 77 of Figure 6, showing the relation of the cover plate to the measuring cups.

The invention as outlined above consists in certain adjustments in relation to the measuring units both as to final capacity and as to compression of the materials fed into the measuring cups. These adjustments have wide application to all types of receptacle filling machines which have measuring cups constructed for expansion and contraction as to capacity where the same rotate between feed'and discharge openings. The principles of the invention will be set forth in connection with a can filling machine.

In the drawings, 10 designates a frame to one portion of which is pivotally connected what may be termed a juice pan because of its function under certain conditions in holding a quantity of juice to be fed to the cans at intervals. The pivotal connection between the pan 11 and the support is made through ears 12 extending from one side thereof and similar ears 13 connected with the support, said ears being pivotally connected by a pin 13*. At a point diametrically opposite the pivotal connection, the pan is provided with a flange 14 which is formed integrally with the pan and with an overflow reservoir 15 associated therewith. Through this flange is threaded an adjusting pin or bolt 16, the lower end of which rests on a suitable support as on the frame 10.

It will be readily seen from the above description that adjustment of the bolt 16 will cant the juice pan about this pivotal connection at 13, the pan carrying with it a part of the mechanism constituting the measuring unit of the machine. This measuring unit comprises upper and lower turrets 17 and 18, the latter of which rests on the bottom of the juice pan and is angularly adjusted therewith. The upper turret 17 is supported independently of the lower turret by means of a shaft 19 which is adjustable as will hereinafter appear.

The upper and lower turrets are provided respectively with tubular sections 20 and 21 which are positioned so that the tubular section of one turret will telescope with similar sections on the other turret all'ording adjustable measuring cups. The upper turret 17 is connected with the shaft 19 for rotation therewith by means of a set screw 22 extending through a sleeve 23 connected to said upper turret. The shaft 19 is slidably mounted relative to a shaft 211 which is provided with a bore in which the shaft 19 is adjustably received. This construction is clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings.

By means of this sliding connection the final capacity of the measuring cups may be determined and the shaft 19 may be adjusted relative to the shaft 24 by means of an ad- 'usting wheel 25 threaded to the shaft 24 by which the shaft 19 is supported through the medium of a pin 26 extending through the shaft 19 and projecting through slots 27 formed in the shaft 24 and projecting therebeyond so as to rest on the upper surface of the adjusting wheel 25.

The adjusting wheel 25 is formed'with a circular depression 28 which is to provide for the rotation of the adjusting wheel about the shaft 24 and the pin 26. It will be seen from the foregoing that the turrets may be adjusted angularly to each other as well as in parallelism to each other that is, in other words, the turrets may be adjusted, by the means set forth above, both for the final measurement of the cups and for the compression of material therein.

It will be understood from the above construction that rotation of the shaft 19 will carry both turrets 17 and 18 with it in its rotary movement due to the telescoping relation of the sections 20 and 21 of the cups on the respective turrets. In consequence, rotation of these turrets will cause a gradual telescoping action therebetween compressing the fruit or. vegetables contained in the cups as the telescoping sections move toward the higher level of the juice pan (see Figures 1 and 5), the material being received in the position as indicated by the numeral 29 and compressed toward the position indicated by the numeral 30, in which latter position the material will be smoothed down and pressed into the cups by the shaker mechanism represented at 31. This latter mechanism is pivotally mounted as at 32 by means of an upright stud and the arm 33 projecting from the said shaker mechanism. A further arm 34 extends from the opposite side of the shaker mechanism and is provided with a slot 35 through which the wrist pin 36 projects, said pin being eccentrically located on the disk 37 and rotated in an 1 suitable manner. The rotation of the sha t 19 causes a similar rotation of the shaft 24 which latter shaft carries funnels 38 and also the circular platform 39.

Figure 2 of the drawings shows the plan arrangement of the juice pan with the turrets mounted therein and shows at 40 the position of the discharge. The hopper 41 is located above the discharge 40 and under certain circumstances, this arrangement is of particular use in supplying brine or other preserving fluids to the cans. The arrangement of this element and of the shaker mechanism is set forth more in detail in a copending application.

While the invention has been set forth hereinbefore in connection with canning machinery, it is to be understood that it is applicable in any situation where receptacles are to be filled with measured quantities of material that is compressible and wherever the advantage of supplying to the trade a uniform measure of a commodity is desired, or where, as in the case of fruit. it is desired to present a commodity of uniform quality of solid or semi-solid material without the said commodity being injured in the packing thereof.

I claim 1. In a can filling machine, a pair of rotatable turrets, each having measuring cup sections telescopically related to similar sect-ions on the other turret, and means for angularly adjusting the planes of the turrets to each other.

2. In a can filling machine, a pair of rotatable turrets, each having measuring cup sections telescopically related to similar sections on the other, and means for angularly adjusting the planes of the turrets to each other, and means for adjusting said planes in parallelism to each other.

3. In a can filling machine, a pair of rotatable sets of measuring sections, the sections of each set telescoping with those of the other set, means for adjusting the plane of one set at an angle to the other so as to afford a gradual compression of the contents of the telescoping units by the rotation of the sets.

4. In a can filling machine, a pair of rotatable turrets, each having cup sections telescoping with similar sections of the other. and means for tilting one of said turrets to the other so as to effect a gradual compression of the contents of the cup sections as the turrets rotate.

5. In a can filling machine, a pair of rotatable turrets, each turret having a plurality of open ended measuring cup sections there on, a hopper having a discharge opening into the cups, a support closing the lower end of the cups and having a discharge opening, means for adjusting the angular relation of the turrets so as to cause a gradual compression of material in said cups intermediately of said discharge openings.

6. In a can filling machine, a pair of turrets mounted in said machine to rotate in converging planes, measuring cup sections on each turret telescoping with similar sections on the other turret, a shaft secured to one of the turrets for rotating the same, a second shaft, said shafts being adjustable longitudinally of each other.

7. In a can filling machine having a pair of turrets lying in converging planes and with telescoping measuring cup sections thereon, a pair of shafts one of which is connected centrally to one of the turrets, said shafts being adjustable one relative to the other for varying the capacity of the cups. 8. In a canning machine, a pair of turrets having telescoping measuring units thereon, coaxial shafts slidably received one within the other the inner shaft being connected to one of the turrets, the outer shaft being provided with a longitudinally extending slot and a threaded area adjacent thereto, a pin secured to the inner shaft and extending through the slots, and an adjusting member threaded to the threaded portion of the outer shaft on which the end of the pin rests.

9. In a canning machine, a pair of turrets lying in converging planes and each having measuring cup sections thereon telescoping with similar sections on the other turret, a shaft for driving the turrets composed of sections longitudinally adjustable one to the other, a pin on one of the shafts, and a member adjustable on the other shaft on which the pin rests.

10. In a canning machine having a pair of rotatable turrets, measuring cups consisting of sections on each turret telescopically arranged to similar sections on the other turret, means for adjusting the sections to each other so as to predetermine the final capacity of the cups and means for angularly adjusting the sections to each other for a compression of material therein.

11. In a canning machine, a pair of turrets each having measuring sections extending therefrom and telescoping with those of the other, means supporting one of the turrets so as to be vertically adjustable relatively to the other and means supporting the other turret so as to be angularly adjustable relative to the vertically adjustable turret.

12. In a canning machine, a pair of turrets having measuring sections extending there from and telescoping the sections of one tutret into those of the other, one of the turrets being vertically adjustable and the other turret being angularly adjustable.

13. In a cannin machine, a pair of revoluble relatively a justable turrets each having measuring cup sections telescoping with similar sections on the other, means for canting one of said turrets relative to the other, and a packing member on the upper turret adapted to force materials into the cups as it is being compressed by the revolution of the turrets.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES H. AYARS. 

